The Manhattan Project--2016 A to Z Theme

Friday, December 20, 2013

The Old Woman Crossing the Street

The house where I live is very near a major busy intersection. Two six lane streets cross at a point where there are many businesses and a constant flow of traffic heading to and from Los Angeles or points north and south to surrounding urban areas. There is a continual buzz of traffic here as well as many pedestrians making their ways to wherever they are going.

One particular day I was driving home from running some errands. It was about 10:30 in the morning so the traffic and pedestrian flow though not at its height was steady. Waiting for the traffic signal in the left turn lane from Washington Boulevard to Rosemead Boulevard south, I happened to look to my right to see an older lady struggling at the opposite corner from me. She was laden with many plastic bags--groceries perhaps. Not only did she have a great burden of things she was transporting on foot, but she also appeared to have great difficulty in walking. Even stepping down from the curb seemed to be painful and onerous for her. Adding to that physical disability were her bags and a wire rolling cart filled with something that might have included clothes.

Drawn to the sight, I watched as she slowly started across the street with her burdens. I feared that moving so slowly she would not make it across the street before the lights changed and traffic would begin moving again. I wished that there were some way that I could leap out of my van and run to her assistance, but being in the turn lane of a major thoroughfare there was nothing I could do.

Wasn't there somebody who could help this poor struggling elderly lady?

The traffic signal I was waiting for seemed to last for an abnormally long time, better for the old lady crossing the street I suppose. I waited and I watched.

Suddenly, seemingly from out of the air, a teen-aged girl dressed in white ran to the lady's side taking her bags and the cart and with a gentle hand on the lady's back guided the lady across the street. As they walked I could see the girl talking to the lady who looked thankful and glad that someone cared about her.

As they neared the curb my signal changed and I made my turn toward home. I don't know what happened with the lady and the girl after I left them, but I felt a glowing feeling inside that stayed with me all that day and a memory that remains now. That was probably two, maybe three years ago, but the image remains vividly planted in my mind.

I wonder how many others watched this microcosmic drama? I wonder how many were affected by the outcome like I was?

The whole incident seemed like the old Boy Scout cliche of helping a little old lady across the street. Seeing it actually happen put the concept into perspective for me.

Take the time to help someone during the holiday season. This time of year is a good time to start if you don't do these things already. And if you start doing the good deeds, the action will become easier to do more. And don't do it just because it's Christmas. Do it for always.

Have you witnessed any acts of kindness that you'd like to share in the comments? What are some of the things you do to help others? Do you ask for help when you really need it?

23 comments:

That's nice the girl helped her. There are still good people in this world.Tomorrow I'm going to help at the downtown soup kitchen by handing out new clothes we've collected and serving food. Looking forward to it.

Heart-warnming story, Arlee! It's always great to hear positive things about people simply lending a hand and doing the right thing, just like that girl.

I'd like to say I was the type of person who'd immediately have put the car in park, turned on the flashers, and rushed out to help the lady myself -- screw the people waiting behind me; they can spare an extra 30 seconds until I get back to the car. But truthfully, I would have also sat there, watching and hoping that someone else ran to the lady's aid.

So while I applaud this story and the girl who came to the rescue, it is also a reminder that I can always do more to help those around me...

Hello Lee.My sister and I went to Greenstone mall today to do some last minute shopping. On our way out we came across a young mother with a baby in a pram and a son of about 2ish. She also had a huge parcel under her arm and one in the pram with the baby. Suddenly the little boy ran off down the ramp into the parking garage at speed. Seeing what was happening, Toni my sister offered to stay with the baby and parcels while mommy went in pursuit. What could she do? There are times when strangers are trustworthy and willing to help in emergencies, this was one of them.It took quite a while for her to catch her son but in the end everything worked out okay. Poor girl.Have a fantastic Christmas, with blessings, Geoff.

There are a couple of grocery stores I shop at that you have to put a quarter in the cart to use them. When I'm done shopping, I usually leave the quarter in it for the next person. Something really small, but I always hope that it puts a smile on someone's face.

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

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If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

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A juggler of words and phrases. My main blog is Tossing It Out. The focus blog for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge can now be found at a-to-zchallenge.com where updates will be posted until the event in April begins.
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